BRITISH TRADE

Dominion, Volume 27, Issue 38, 8 November 1933, Page 9

BRITISH TRADE

Revival of Confidence FURTHER EVIDENCE (British Official Wireless.) • Rugby, November 4. A further indication of confidence in the revival of British trade, of which there has been indisputable evidence from numerous areas in recent months, is the announcement by the Great Western Railway of a £2,000,000 programme of development, for 1934. This follows last week's announcement by the London and North-Eastern Railway of a £2,300,000 programme. The Great Western Railway’s plan includes construction of 90 engines, 200 passenger vehicles, 850 vacpum-filled vans for express freight services, and over 1000 other twelve-ton vans. In addition to this construction work, 400 miles of line will be laid, involving the use of 30.000 tops of rails, more than 600,000 sleepers, and 185,000 cubic yards of ballast. These big railway schemes, apart from their interest as encouraging indications of better trading condition;, involve large orders and more employment in many branches of British industry. jjegotiations are proceeding between representatives of the Cunard and White Star Companies, which, it is understood by the newspapers, are related to the possibility of creating a new organisation to finish and operate the Cunard liner No. 534 now lying on the stocks at Messrs. John Brown and Company’s yards, Clydebank. Tlie companies admit that negotiations are taking place, but state that they are unable to make any announcement ar present. FEWER UNEMPLOYED London. November 6. The unemployed on October 23 numbered 2.298.753. a decrease of 44.000 compared with September 25. and 53i.000 fewer than October, 1932. A further improvement is recorded m the coal, engineering, motor, inet.il, cotton, woollen, pottery, and shipbuilding industries. Employment continues to decline in the building and distributive trades, iron and steel industries, and road transport and shipping seevices.